Automotive lamps with shock isolation lamp socket mountings



1966 J. B. DICKSON 3,235,721

AUTOMOTIVE LAMPS WITH SHOCK ISOLATION LAMP SOCKET MOUNTINGS OriginalFiled March 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 15, 1966 J. B. DICKSONAUTOMOTIVE LAMPS WITH SHOCK ISOLATION LAMP SOCKET MOUNTINGS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 16, 1961 United States Patent3,235,721 AUTOMOTIVE LAMPS WITH SHOCK ISOLATION LAMP SOCKET MOUNTINGSJohn B. Dickson, Kew Gardens, N.Y., assignor to Lehigh ValleyIndustries, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication Mar. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 96,181, now Patent No. 3,145,933,dated Aug. 25, 1964. Divided and this application Dec. 27, 1963, Ser.No. 333,932

Claims. (Cl. 240-82) This application is a division of my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 96,181, filed'March 16, 1961, now Patent No.3,145,933. This invention relates to clearance and marker lamps forcommercial automotive vehicles, such as buses and trucks, andmoreparticularly to lamps of this type incorporating novel shockisolating means for the lamp bulb and its socket and novel means wherebylenses may be readily removed for access to the lamp bulb or bulbs..

Commercial automotive vehicles, such as buses, trucks, trailers and thelike, are required by law or by Interstate Commerce Commissionregulations, to carry or be provided with certain specified lamps of theclearance or marker type. Such lamps are designed to be mounted on thefront and rear ends of the vehicle, and also on the sides of thevehicle.

As hitherto constructed, such lamps have had certain disadvantageousfeatures. For example, due to the road shocks to which a commercialvehicle is continuously subjected, the filaments in the lamp bulbs havebeen broken at a relatively high rate. This necessitates that the lampbulbs be replaced at frequent intervals, and very often this happenswhen the vehicle is on a run. Unless the driver has been supplied withcertain special tools for removing lenses and the like, it is diflicult,if not impossible, for him to replace a broken lamp bulb during a run.

In accordance with the present invention, novel lamp constructions areprovided in which not only may the lenses be relatively easily removedfor access to a lamp bulb or lamp bulbs, in the lamp housing, but alsonovel shock absorbing means are interposed between each lamp bulb socketand a relatively fixed part of the housing so that the lamp bulb and itssocket are isolated from road shocks received by the vehicle.Consequently, the life of the lamp bulbs in lamps embodying theprinciples of the present invention is an indefinite multiple of thelife of lamp bulbs in known types of marker and clearance lamps.

Stated as a general principle,'the shock isolating mounts of the lampsof the present invention operate in a cantilever fashion. They areformed of relatively soft rubber elements, which have somewhat theconfiguration of nipples, with the base of the nipple being secured tothe housing of the lamp and the support for the lamp bulb sockets beingmounted on the upper ends of the nipples and spaced substantially fromthe base thereof. Due to the relatively soft nature of the rubber orrubber-like material used in making the shock mountings, this materialhas a resiliency and give which allows shocks to be absorbed withoutbeing transmitted to the lamp socket or the lamp therein.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference ismade to the following description of typical embodiments thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a marker or clearance lamp embodying theinvention, the lens being removed;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 22 and 3-3,respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial longitudinal sectional view 3,235,721Patented Feb. 15, 1966 of the lens of the lamp shown in FIG. 1,illustrating details of its construction;

PEG. 5 is a transverse sectional view throughthe lens; and

FIG. 6 is a detailed partial sectional view of the lens illustrating afurther detail of its construction.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, the lamp therein illustrated includes ametal base which is relatively shallow, having a flat bottom wall 106and a peripheral rim 107 which is widened arcuately at each end of thebase. The arcuate portions 108 have threaded apertures which are axiallylengthened to receive fastening screws for a retainer 109 for the lens110. Bottom wall 106 of base 105 has an inwardly offset dog-leg groove111 opening outwardly through the rim 107 and having an aperture at itsend'aligned with an aperture 112 in the base 116 of a shock isolatingmounting 115.

The shock mount 115 is essentially similar to the shock mount 35 ofFIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of my said copending application, except that itsupwardly projecting nipples or bosses 117 are much shallower. The base116 of the shock mount is essentially rectangular in plan having arcuateends, and is secured to the bottom wall 106 of metal base 105 by meansof washer-type rivets 113.

The socket assembly, indicated at l20, is identical with the socketassembly of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of my said copending application, so thatfurther description thereof is not believed necessary.

Each end of base 116 has a recess 118 aligned with an oval opening 119in'the bottom wall 106 of metal base 105. Lens 110, which is molded of asuitable transparent or translucent plastic composition material has asubstantially cylindrical outer wall 121 the lower ends of whichterminate in flanges 122. Wall 121 is cylindrical about an axisextending transversely of the lamp, and its inner surface is formed witha plurality of 'transversely extending arcuate grooves 123. Side walls124 slope downwardly and inwardly from the outer wall 121, and areformed with horizontal ledges 126, the side walls extending below thisledge. Adjacent either'end of top wall 121, the latter is thickened sothat its inner surface is substantially vertical, as indicated at 127,and this .portion of the top wall extends below the ledges 122 toterminate in a common plane with the lower edges of side walls 124.

When lens is placed on the lamp base, the lower edges of its side andend walls engage the flat base 116 of the shock mount 120, which latteris made of soft rubber and thus also actsas a sealing gasket. Thelensretainer 109 is then placed in position, and is an annular member havinga central opening closely embracing the lens 110. This annular openingis bounded by an inwardly extending flange which overlies the ledges 122and 126. Retainer 109 is secured in position by screws 125 extendedthrough apertures in its flange 128 and threaded into the apertures inflanges 108. The side walls 124 of the lens are formed with verticallyextending closely spaced triangular ribs 129.

It will be noted that, in this lamp, the socket assembly 120 isresiliently supported by the shock isolating assembly so that no roadshocks are transmitted to a lamp bulb mounted in the socket assembly.Also, the lens 110 can be easily removed by simply drawing out thescrews 125, taking off the retainer 109, and then removing the lens 110.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive vehicle lamp comprising, in combination, a housingincluding a relatively elongated base having a substantially flatsurface portion bounded by an upstanding rim having an outwardlyprojecting peripheral flange; a shock isolating mounting of relativelysoft and flexible rubber-like material including a relatively flat baseportion extending laterally over and engaging said base surface'portion,and hollow means extending upwardly from said base portion and formed'with supporting formations for resiliently supporting a lamp socketassembly; a lamp socket assembly including a plate portion supported onsaid hollow supporting means and isolated thereby from shocks receivedby said base; a relatively elongated lens having a hollow upwardlyextending housing portion within the peripheral flange of said base, anda rim seated on said base portion of said shock isolating mounting; saidlens having a laterally extending peripheral flange above said rim andprojecting outwardly over he peripheral flange of the rim of the base; arelatively elongated retaining element including a vertical peripheralwall arranged to engage the housing base and an inwardly extending;horizontal wall formed with an opening receiving the housing portion ofsaid lens and extending inwardly over the peripheral flange of the baserim; said retaining member being secured to said outwardly extendingperipheral flange of said base to retain said lens with its rimcompressing said base portion of said shock isolating mounting; saidshock isolating mounting acting as a sealing gasket for said lens.

2. An automotive vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which said lenshousing portion is longitudinally arched and has ribs extendinglaterally of the inner surface of the arched portion.

3. An automotive vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 2, in which said lenshas a pair of side walls extending between its rim and the archedportion and formed with ribs extending laterally of said side walls onthe inner surface thereof.

4. An automotive vehicle lamp comprising, in combination, a housingincluding a relatively elongated base having a substantially flatsurface portion bounded by an upstanding rim; a shock isolating mountingof relatively soft and flexible rubber-like material including arelatively flat base portion extending laterally over and engaging saidbase surface portion, and hollow means extending upwardly from said baseportion and formed with supporting formations for resiliently supportinga lamp socket assembly; a lamp socket assembly including a plate portionsupported on said hollow supporting means and isolated thereby fromshocks received by said base; a relatively elongated lens having ahollow upwardly extending housing portion within the upstanding rim 9fsaid base, and a rim seated on said base portion of said shock isolatingmounting; said lens having a laterally extending peripheral flange abovesaid rim of the base and projecting outwardly over said rim; arelatively elongated retaining element including a vertical peripheralwall arranged to surround the housing base and an inwardly extendinghorizontal wall formed with an opening receiving the housing portion ofsaid lens and extending inwardly over said base upstanding rim; saidretaining member being secured to said housing base to retain said lenswith its rim compressing said base portion of said shock isolatingmounting acting as a sealing gasket for said lens.

5. An automotive vehicle lamp comprising, in combination, a housingincluding a relatively elongated base having a substantially flatsurface portion bounded by an upstanding rim; a shock isolating mountingof relatively soft and flexible rubber-like material including arelatively flat base portion extending laterally over and engaging saidbase surface portion, a pair of spaced hollow nipples projectingupwardly from said base portion, each of said nipples having an upperportion of lesser diameter terminating in a solid outwardly projectionflange portion; a lamp socket assembly including a plate portion havingreceiving apertures adapted to engage said nipples at the portion oflesser diameter, whereby said lamp socket assembly is supported by saidshock isolating mounting and isolated thereby from shocks received bysaid base; a relatively elongated lens having a hollow upwardlyextending housing portion within the upstanding rim of said base, and arim seated on said base portion of said shock isolating mounting; saidlamp having a laterally extending peripheral flange above said rim ofthe base and projecting outwardly over said rim; a relatively elongatedretaining element including a vertical peripheral wall arranged tosurround the housing base and an inwardly extending horizontal wallformed with an opening receiving the housing portion of said lens andextending inwardly over said base upstanding rim; said retaining memberbeing secured to said housing base to retain said lens with its rimcompressing said base portion of said shock isolating mounting; saidshock isolating mounting acting as a sealing gasket for said lens.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,232,276 2/ 1941Schepmoes.

2,542,114 2/1951 Bridge 240-l06.1 2,685,639 8/1954 Wiley 2408.32,782,298 2/1957 Scholz of al. 240 3,032,646 5/1962 Chieger 240-82NORTON ANSI-1BR, Primary Examiner.

EVON Q. BLUNK, Examiner,

4. AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE LAMP COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSINGINCLUDING A RELATIVELY ELONGATED BASE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLATSURFACE PORTION BOUNDED BY AN UPSTANDING RIM; A SHOCK ISOLATING MOUNTINGOF RELATIVELY SOFT AND FLEXIBLE RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL INCLUDING ARELATIVELY FLAT BASE PORTION EXTENDING LATERALLY OVER AND ENGAGING SAIDBASE SURFACE PORTION, AND HOLLOW MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASEPORTION AND FORMED WITH SUPPORTING FORMATIONS FOR RESILIENTLY SUPPORTINGA LAMP SOCKET ASSEMBLY; A LAMP SOCKET ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PLATE PORTIONSUPPORTED ON SAID HOLLOW SUPPORTING MEANS AND ISOLATED THEREBY FROMSHOCKS RECEIVED BY SAID BASE; A RELATIVELY ELONGATED LENS HAVING AHOLLOW UPWARDLY EXTENDING HOUSING PORTION WITHIN THE UPSTANDING RIM OFSAID BASE, AND A RIM SEATED ON SAID BASE PORTION OF SAID SHOCK ISOLATINGMOUNTING; SAID LENS HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING PERIPHERAL FLANGE ABOVESAID RIM OF THE BASE AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OVER SAID RIM; ARELATIVELY ELONGATED RETAINING ELEMENT INCLUDING A VERTICAL PERIPHERALWALL ARRANGED TO SURROUND THE HOUSING BASE AND AN INWARDLY EXTENDINGHORIZONTAL WALL FORMED WITH AN OPENING RECEIVING THE HOUSING PORTION OFSAID LENS AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OVER SAID BASE UPSTANDING RIM; SAIDRETAINING MEMBER BEING SECURED TO SAID HOUSING BASE TO RETAIN SAID LENSWITH ITS RIM COMPRESSING SAID BASE PORTION OF SAID SHOCK ISOLATINGMOUNTING ACTING AS A SEALING GASKET FOR SAID LENS.